"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
When I first read today's Gospel for the Daily Office, I felt like we were back on Ash Wednesday. Here we are more than half way through the Season of Easter and we see this Gospel from Matthew about fasting and praying. This Gospel is an instruction about being careful about piety for the sake of being seen, vs. what God sees within our hearts. This message is not just for Lent, it is a reminder that God knows our attitudes often better than we do. God alone knows our level of honesty and we are challenged to keep a watch over what is in our own hearts as we live out our Faith before God and others.
I don't know if we think as much about prayer and fasting, especially since most of us have moved on since Easter Day. The last thing most of us want to think about is returning to Lent. All of us, however, do well to remind ourselves about what is within our hearts and minds as we exercise our Faith. We can be very honest, or we can attempt to deceive. In the end, God is the one who knows all too well what is going on.
What is in our hearts and minds is why racism and hetero-sexism is so bad for our spiritual and personal life. When piety as in blessing ourselves at the right moment during the Eucharistic Liturgy becomes more important than expressing love and acceptance for the immigrant and the LGBT person, we would do well to ask ourselves the question: in the end, what is really more important? Certainly I am not saying that if making the sign of the Cross at "blessed is the one, who comes in the Name of the Lord" is not important. However, what we do in our corporate worship, should reflect our attitude towards the immigrant and the homosexual, bisexual and transgendered person. Because every person regardless of race, class, sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, gender, challenge, or religion is an individual who is blessed by God. No person, religion takes away from any person the dignity and integrity that is theirs by the very fact that she or he has been created and loved by God.
Rev. Richard Witt, Executive Director of Rural and Migrant Ministry wrote an opinion piece in Episcopal Life Online entitled: "To God, No Person is 'Illegal". In Fr. Witt's well written article he wrote:
Across our country, tension is again rising as some Americans, many of them former newcomers – immigrants themselves – see themselves in conflict with the newest immigrants. Fear appears to overcome hope, and the words of Psalm 137:4 come to mind: "How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"
Most often when people approach me to discuss immigration, they want to begin with economics rather than God's humanity: "Can we afford the costs of treating farm workers equally? Can we afford to give them safe and sanitary conditions?" People want to speak of legalisms instead of God's commandments: "Well, they are here illegally, so they don't deserve to be treated with respect."
In God's eyes, there is no documented or undocumented, there is no legal or illegal, there are only his children. For evidence, look to the Torah, which mentions the importance of welcoming the foreigner in our midst more than 15 times.
This past Saturday I wrote about Leviticus 19: 33-34 in which God called upon Israel to love the immigrant (alien) as themselves. That same call is made to all of the Christian Church regarding the immigrant and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered person. Our attitudes towards those who are not Caucasian, heterosexual and male are reflective of our attitudes in our personal and corporate worship of God. Recognizing in each person God's very image and love of Jesus who gave his life for all, is how our attitudes in our worship become part of our every day life. In this way, we also reflect the crucified and risen Lord Jesus as we remember that it was for all that he died and rose.
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Book of Common Prayer, Page 225).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, Page 815).
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